The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-22
Special Contributors.
THE E EUCHARIST.
BY REV. A. A. THAYER.
Dosage, IowaD

The two abiding and prominent cere-
monials of our Lords religion are such
as belong to the home and the hospital
tiles of family. BY the two great
ceremonials we mean baptism and the
eucharist. In the eastern lands, water
and wine and bread, would symbolic
the comfort, good cheer, and satisfied
appetite under the shelter of home.
In our day, wine, it is true, has been so
abused in its make and use, that it no
longer belongs in a virtuous home. But
the cups of the guest are filed with
other beverages which crafty the lips
and soothe the nerves. And water for
cleansing, after the days toll or dust,
will never cease to be refreshment
and the symbol of great comfort. In
the heat of the season, and guest from
abroad, what thoughtful and genial
hostess will forget to say, "WOuld you
like the use of bit of water to cool
thy face ?'' 1t is the gladdest welcome
in all the house.
Bread, too, as the staff of life, is as
inseparably connected with the home
as the arms with the body. And out
of these few symbols all the lawful GER
emonies of Christianity are constructed.
Compare e-thena-withe the bloody hnteh-
cries and burnings of the old covenant
compare them with the weary dis
plays, and incense and pantomine of
the traditional church of the dark ages
compare them with all the elaborate
and cruel displays of the paganism of
the present day, or with the heathen-
ism of ancient days, and how very sim
Pile, and beautiful, and hOmelike, our
Lords ceremonials are
And as these symbols are so domes-
tic in their nature, shall we do them
injustice to apply the principles of hos
pitality TO the Eucharist of Jesus ?
The answer will depend on our esti-
mate of the institution itself. Some
people look upon this Supper as a sac
rament. Others regard it as a Euchar-
ist. Protestants think that our Lords
religion has two sacraments: viZ.-bap-
tism and the Lords Supper The Greek
and Roman churches believe in seven
sacraments, baptism, coniirma-
ton, the Lord s Supper, penance, mat
rimony, holy orders, (ordinations), and
extreme JUNCTION, /. G., granting full par
don to the dying through the power Of
prayer and amounting with oil.
Now look at the definitions. A sac
rament has the nature Of an oath, and
of a solemn religious mystery. 1t is
borrowed from the ideas of the heather
mysteries. A sacrament is supposed
to contain some secret virtue or grace
of God, which cannot be obtained in
any other way. 1t is convenient and
superstitiou8 method of magnifying the
power of the priest who administers it.
It's purpose is to inspire awe. Its SEN
timent is Just the reverse of hospital
ity. 1t engendereth exclusiyeness, in
asmuch as none but the thoroughly in
itiated and duly and truly prepared
should be allowed to participate in its
solemnities. These are the ideas con-
nected with the Lords Supper as a sac
rament.
But some Protestants regard the sup
per as a Eucharist. Now look again at
the definition. Take a Greek lexicon.
Among the definitions are, pleasing,
charming, winning, agreeable, urban
ity, giving of thanks, etc, etc. What
a warm, gentle, beautiful, bOspitable
word that is Let US always call the
Lords Supper the Eucharist. Because,
was there not giving of thanks Was
there not divine urbanity in him who
presided? ? Was not his presence agree
able, winning, charming, pleasing, and
all that is beautiful and gracious, with
the beloved disciple leaning on his per
son
Now, therefore, can we discover any
thing inhospitable about that supper,
with the friend of sinners as its lord
and host ? This was he who gave the
three thousand, and the five thousand,
bread and fish to eat, without money
and without price. Had some poor
man, a sinner, knocked at that door and
have asked for a bit of bread, was it
Jesus who would have said, "Send him
away and lock the door Y' Jesus ut
tered one beautiful parable Of the Good